Driving Schools Warning
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday September 18, 1991
A survey revealing that Asian women learning to drive in Sydney's west have an 80 per cent failure rate has prompted calls for a crackdown on driving instructors.
The Roads and Traffic Authority survey showed that the average failure rate of Asian drivers in Fairfield, Merrylands and Liverpool was 65-80 per cent.
While the problem was partly caused by poor English, the Member for Cabramatta, Mr John Newman, said Asian people had also been the victims of predatory and unqualified driving instructors.
"There was one advertisement in a Chinese newspaper claiming that a pass for a licence was guaranteed after the second lesson," he said. "Another so-called instructor who sent 26 applicants for the exam was found only to have a probationary licence.
"There was also a German-speaking instructor using hand signals to a Vietnamese student who could not speak English."
An RTA spokesman said the situation would be investigated.
Mr Newman called on the RTA to warn people to use only qualified driving instructors.
The Deputy Premier and Minister for Roads, Mr Murray, said the Government would amend the Motor Vehicle Driving Instructors Act to "produce more competent and ethical driving instructors".
© 1991 Sydney Morning Herald
